Poinsettia plant named ‘PER2010’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘PER2010’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely and upright branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; early-season flowering response; large inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts with random light red-colored flecks; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PER2010’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Poinsettia Plant Named ‘PER2110’

Applicant: Ruth Kobayashi

Filed: Concurrently with this application having U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/694,963

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘PER2010’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform Poinsettia plants having large inflorescences with attractive flower bracts and excellent post-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia plant originated is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER1188’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,201. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘PER1188’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. on Sep. 22, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Encinitas, Calif. since January, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘PER2010’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PER2010’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely and upright branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Early-season flowering response; under natural season         conditions, plants flower in early November in Southern         California.     -   6. Large inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts with         random light red-colored flecks.     -   7. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the parent, ‘PER1188’, in flower bract color as plants of ‘PER1188’ have bright red-colored flower bracts with no flecking.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER2110’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/694,963. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘PER2110’ differ primarily in flower bract color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘490 Jingle Bells’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,771. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘490 Jingle Bells’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         ‘490 Jingle Bells’.     -   2. Branching habit of plants of the new Poinsettia was more         upright than branching habit of plants of ‘490 Jingle Bells’.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about eleven days         earlier than plants of ‘490 Jingle Bells’ when grown under         natural season conditions.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘490 Jingle Bells’ differed         slightly in flower bract color.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can also be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER5499’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,917. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘PER5499’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         ‘PER5499’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker green-colored leaves         than plants of ‘PER5499’.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about 15 days earlier         than plants of ‘PER5499’ when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia and ‘PER5499’ differed in flower         bract color as plants of ‘PER5499’ had red-colored flower bracts         with white-colored random flecks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER2010’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘PER2010’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and in the following detailed description were grown during the late autumn/early winter in 16.5-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif. and under natural season conditions and cultural practices typical of commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 24° C., night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 5,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were 17 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER2010’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Euphorbia     pulcherrima Willd. ‘PER1188’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     23,201. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to ten days at 20° C.             night temperature and 27° C. day temperature.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About four weeks at             20° C. night temperature and 27° C. day temperature.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Relatively compact, upright and             mounded plant habit; inverted triangle; large inflorescences             positioned above the foliar plane; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 34 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 58 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about eight lateral branches develop after pinching.             Length: About 28 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Internode length:             About 2.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 146B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.6 cm. Width: About 9 cm. Shape: Broadly lanceolate,             lobed. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded. Margin: Mostly entire             with pointed lobes. Aspect: Flat. Venation pattern: Pinnate,             arcuate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to 139A; venation, close to 137A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to N137C; venation, close to 147C.             Petiole: Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 183A. Color, lower surface: Close to             176B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Terminal inflorescences are             compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts             subtending the cyathia; inflorescences uniformly positioned             above the foliar plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Early-season flowering response; under             natural season conditions, plants typically flower on             November 7 in Southern California; under artificial long             nyctoperiod/short photoperiod conditions, plants flower             about 7 to 7.5 weeks later.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good substance and             flower bract color for about four weeks under interior             conditions; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 30 cm.         -   Inflorescence height (depth).—About 8.5 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length,             largest bracts: About 14.4 cm. Width, largest bracts: About             9.8 cm. Shape: Broadly lanceolate, occasionally lobed. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Rounded. Margin: Entire, occasionally with             three to four shallow lobes. Texture, upper surface:             Slightly rugose, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Veins             prominent, glabrous. Aspect: Mostly horizontal. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing or transitional             bracts, upper surface: Close to 46A; venation, close to 146A             to 146C. Developing or transitional bracts, lower surface:             Close to 147B to 147C tinted with close to N34C. Fully             expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to 46B with random             flecks, close to 53C to 53D; venation, close to 46B; color             does not change with development. Fully expanded bracts,             lower surface: Close to 47A with random flecks, close to             53D; venation, close to 47A. Bract petiole: Length: About             3.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 47A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 14. Length: About             1.1 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, immature: Close to 146A. Color, mature:             Close to 146B to 146C.         -   Nectaries.—Quantity per cyathium: One. Length: About 4 mm.             Width: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 21D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             eight to ten. Filament length: About 5 mm. Filament color:             Close to 58A. Anther shape: Oval; bi-lobed. Anther length:             About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 59B. Amount of pollen:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15C. Pistils: Pistil             development has not been observed on plants of the new             Poinsettia.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Poinsettia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 16° C. to about     29° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘PER2010’ as illustrated and described. 